Season 3 Continuation
by HPGREYSFAN2291
Summary: This is the continuation of N.a.brun's story that she has graciously allowed me to adopt. This story will pick up where she left off with the characters in what is our take on how Season 3 of Once Upon A Time will turn out this year.
1. The King

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! This is my first time writing a story on here! Also, this story will be a continuation of what N. has started. I have adopted her story, so I hope you guys enjoy! Please read and review! And, I am also working on a storyline, so if you have ideas or things you want to see, please let me know in reviews, or PM me! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters. That would be ABC and the awesome creators, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. **

Ch. 1

"The King"

Green light filled the air as the portal to Neverland closed on the Jolly Roger. A second later, there was only silence and the rushing of the sea against boats and the shore. Sea gulls circled in the sky, searching for food like they always did, not realizing what just took place.

Belle stood on the edge of the dock, still peering out to the place where her beloved Rumple and the others disappeared, thinking that something else was about to happen. Clutching at the small piece of parchment that Rumple gave her with the Cloaking Spell on it, a tear fell down her face as the realization began to hit her that she may never see Rumple again. Still staring out at the water, she became oblivious to the fact that someone had walked up to her side.

"Belle? Where's Emma, Mary Margaret, David, and Regina?" asked Ruby, who had a quizzical look on her face about what she had just witnessed.

Startled by Ruby, Belle jumped out of her trace and turned to face the brown-haired, brown-eyed wolf. Before she could wipe the tears from her eyes, however, Ruby took notice that she had been crying.

"Hey, now. What's wrong?" Ruby said comfortingly, putting her hand over Belle's shoulder and bringing her in to herself. As Belle continued to cry, Ruby simply put her head on top of Belle's and patted her arm, all the while making little "shhh"-ing noises. After a few minutes, Belle pulled out of Ruby's arms, wiped the residual tears, and stared at her new friend.

"Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Rumple, and Hook all have gone to find Henry. They took Hook's ship with the last of the beans that Tiny grew, "said Belle, pausing to sniffle for a second and then continuing, "Rumple gave this Cloaking Spell and instructed me to cast it onto the entire town." She held up the piece of parchment so that Ruby could see. When she noticed Ruby's face, however, it was a face of utter confusion.

"So wait, they went to find Henry in Neverland? Who took him in the first place?"

She looked at Belle as she asked this, but there was no need for Belle to reply. Indeed, her face said everything that Ruby needed to know.

"Tamara and Greg" is all Ruby could utter after that. Belle nodded her head slowly, confirming that very fact.

Trying to get a handle on what's happened, Ruby began to think, looking sideways to the dock and putting her chin in her chin. Belle stared at her, waiting for her to figure out the next move. After a few minutes, Ruby looked back up to Belle, with a plan brewing in her eye.

"Okay. So, Emma, Regina, Rumple, Snow, Charming, and Hook all went to Neverland to save Henry from Greg and Tamara. Rumple gave you the Cloaking Spell so that we can make Storybrooke invisible to outsiders."

At that point, Ruby started pacing, with Belle nodding her head yes and holding tightly to the piece of parchment.

After a second more of pacing, Ruby stopped back in front of Belle, continuing, "So, now, we need to shield the town so no one else can come in, then we need to figure out who is going to lead us while Emma, David, and Mary Margaret are gone."

"But, uhhh, Ruby, neither one of us, nor anyone else in Storybrooke for that matter, have magic to enact the spell. Who are we going to find that'll know how to activate the spell?"

"Ohhh. I didn't think of that. No one else but Regina and Rumple possessed magic."

As both of them stood on the dock, trying to think of who might in town possess magic, the clock began to chime 3 o'clock in the distance. Both startled this time, Ruby and Belle turned to look in the direction of the noise and then back again at each other.

"We'd better get to Granny's and explain everything," Ruby finally said after a minute or two of silence.

"Yes. And gather everyone at City Hall to figure out who can activate this spell and lead us until David and Mary Margaret return." As she said this, she held up the spell one more time so that both of them can look at it, as if it was something complex.

Ruby and Belle then turned and began to walk to town. Once they reached the end of the dock, though, they broke into a run, realizing that no time could be spared.

* * *

Chaos and confusion flooded Granny's. As everyone tried to obtain answers, Granny tried to contain everyone. But it was to no avail.

"Where's Greg and Tamara?! They should be killed for what they tried to do to us!" someone screamed, while another shouted, "Where's Snow and the Prince?! They should have the answers to what's going on!" And still, others shouted, "Its Regina! Question Regina!"

Having had enough, Granny put her thumb and fourth finger in between her teeth and whistled so loudly that an eerie silence, one in which a person could hear a pin drop, filled the air. Once she had everyone's attention, she climbed onto a stool she kept behind the counter and faced the sea of people below her.

"Now listen! There is no reason whatsoever to panic! Whatever happened, I am sure Snow and the Prince have a reasonable explanation. In the meantime, before they arrive, everyone needs to calm down. Shouting will not solve anything. "

As everyone continued to stare at Granny, the door opened, with the _ding!_ from the bell resonating throughout the silent room. As the door slammed shut, everyone turned to see who had arrived: Ruby and Belle. Chaos ensued once again.

"Ruby, Ruby, what's going on?! Where's Snow and Charming?"

"Where's Emma? Do we know where Greg and Tamara are?"

"Where's Rumplestilkskin?! Maybe he knows something!"

As everyone began to crowd around Ruby and Belle, both made a mad dash for the back of the counter where Granny was now coming down off the stool, with her hands in the air, exasperated. Ruby then climbed up on the stool, placed her fingers between her teeth, and whistled loudly. The room was at an eerie silence once again.

"Okay!" she yelled, "here's the deal: Snow and Charming are gone, along with Emma, Regina, and Rumple. Henry has been taken by Greg and Tamara through a portal to Neverland."

As soon as Ruby said this, gasps filled the air. Soon after that, however, the whispers and comments, along with the questions, began to fill the air.

"When are they coming back, Ruby?" asked Leroy.

Ruby looked to Belle, her face reading what was clearly a cry for help. Unfortunately, everyone saw this exchange of glances and turned their head so that all eyes were now on Belle. Hesitating, Belle tried to find the right words in which to tell everyone what was indeed a grim possibility.

"Ummm-It is-It is possible that Snow, Charming, Emma, and Regina may not be able to come back once they rescue Henry."

"What?!" screamed Leroy.

This inevitably led everyone to begin to panic again. Whispers of worry began to float around, while others gasped and about hit the floor passed out. Before the crowd got out of control again, Ruby raised her hands and yelled, "But the good news is, Rumple left Belle a Cloaking Spell that will make Storybrooke invisible to all outsiders!"

While this indeed did calm people down, it only did so for a minority. As for the others, they already realized the one major hole in this plan.

"Well, who can activate the spell? No one here possesses magic!" retorted Sneezy.

"That's right. Only Regina and Rumple possess magic." said Leroy.

"And there's still the matter of who will lead us while the Charmings are away in Neverland." replied Marco, while Pinocchio played with a toy in one of the booths.

"Everyone, we realize this! We have to figure out who can do magic so that the Cloaking Spell can be done, and we have to find someone who is capable of being mayor and Sheriff while Emma, Mary Margaret, and David are gone." yelled Ruby from atop the stool behind the counter.

"But who? Who is there that possesses magic and can lead us while the Charmings are away?" asked Granny.

While everyone began to ponder on who could be capable of this daunting task, the door to Granny's opened once again, the _ding!_ from the bell resounding and reaching everyone's ears in seconds. As eyes floated over to the person at the door, examining the long, black coat, the black dress shoes, and the bald, white head, King George uttered, "I can."


	2. The Dark One's Son

**A/N: Hey everyone! Here is Ch.2. Hope you like it. As always, read and review. And if you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to let me know. I like to hear what you have to say. :)**

Ch. 2

"The Dark One's Son"

"_Papa, no! Stop!" pleaded Bae as he watched the horrific scene that was taking place before his very eyes. _

_But Rumplestiltskin could not hear Bae's pleas. For indeed, ever since he acquired the dagger of the previous Dark One and managed to kill his predecessor, vengeance was all Rumple could think of. Vengeance for those who either taunted or mocked him. Vengeance for those who hurt him. Vengeance for those who dared to take his son away from him. However, something else coursed through Rumple that felt like pure adrenaline to him: power. As he took his dagger and slashed the soldiers that were about to take Bae away, he knew that from this point on, he could make anyone do what he wanted. And if anyone did not comply, he knew that he had the power to destroy them. _

"_Papa please! Please stop! This is not you!" _

_Bae's cries were in vain. As Rumple stabbed the last soldier, blood spilled from the wounded man. Taking the dagger back out, the man fell, face first, to the ground, never again to take a breath. Rumple, panting wildly, stared straight into his son's eyes and simply said, "Now no one can take you away, Bae. You are safe, my boy."_

_Rumple took a step forward towards Bae. Bae, scared and concerned, took a step back from his papa. As he looked at Rumple, fear flooded every inch of his body, causing him to shake noticeably. How could this happen? Why was his papa doing this? he wondered. _

_Now shaking uncontrollably with fear, with tears running down his face, Bae said, in a shaky voice, "Papa, why?"_

Neal jolted up from his slumber, sweat dripping from his forehead. As he looked around the tent, gaining his surroundings, he could not stop gasping for breath, as if the oxygen in the air was limited. As his breathing stabilized, Neal noticed that the pain from the gunshot wound that Tamara had given him was gone. He sat up straight and ran his hand along the area of his wound. There was some kind of patch, made from leaves of some tree, over the wound. He finished feeling his wound and looked around to his left at all the resources that were lying beside him to help his wound.

As he began to remember what happened, one thought lingered his mind: _Emma loves me_. He spun this fact around and around in his head, cherishing it and smiling at this mere fact. Then, as more memories flooded back, Neal began to hate himself for being such a fool and not seeing what was clearly in front of him. _How could I have let Tamara fool me like that? She never loved me; she just used me, _he thought. But what was even worse than being used and lied to was the fact that he didn't believe Emma when she suspected Tamara of foul play. Even more, he accused Emma of being jealous of Tamara, and for that, he thought, _"How could she ever love me or want me after all that?"_

After a few more minutes of beating himself up, Neal attempted to stand up on his own two feet. Using his hands, he pushed himself up, and as he stood straight, he became slightly dizzy. Steadying himself, he closed his eyes, took a deep, slow breath, and stood again. With his balance back, Neal walked out of the tent and looked around for his rescuers.

Seeing a group of people over at the fire, Neal began to walk towards the huddled bunch. Growing closer and closer, whispers began to fill his ears. He slowed his steps, maneuvering around twigs and careful not to step on any leaves. For if he did, that would be the end of the current conversation that was taking place. A conversation apparently about him.

"Aurora! "Emma" could mean anyone. The portal that he came out of could have been from anywhere. We can't assume that that's the Emma he screamed for on the beach." said Mulan, exasperatedly.

"But what if it is? Besides, you saw how he dressed. He must be from there if he dresses similar to them. Anyway, what other "Emma" do we know?" retorted Aurora, who, like Mulan, was growing weary of arguing this.

Phillip, who was sitting across beside Aurora roasting what he had caught in the forest, began to tire of the argument himself. With the rabbit that he caught cooking above the fire, he looked at both Aurora and Mulan, replying, "Let's just wait for when he wakes up. Once he is, we can ask him who he is, where he's from, and why he is here."

At once, Aurora hushed, Mulan looked down and continued to sharpen her weapons, and Phillip looked back to the game roasting over the fire. Still silent from behind, Neal took another step, not watching where he planted his foot.

_Snap!_ Neal looked down immediately to see a twig broken in two. Cursing himself quietly, he looked back up to three faces staring right at him, two in front of him holding swords and one lingering by the backside of the fire. When Mulan and Phillip realized who it was, they relaxed their weapons and retreated back a little. Once they did, Aurora stepped forward to Neal, and Neal straightened up so that both stared right into each other's eyes.

Holding out her hand for him to shake, Aurora said, "Hi. I'm Aurora."

Unable to think of whom he should identity himself as, Neal hesitated for words as he shook Aurora's hand. Should he say Neal, or should he say Baelfire? If he said Neal, they wouldn't be suspicious about why he was there. But if he said Baelfire, they might just recognize him for who he is: the Dark One's son. And with that, Neal knew that fear and suspicion would be raised among them on whether he could be trusted. With that in mind, Neal let go of Aurora's hand and replied with, "Neal."

Smiling at him, Aurora continued, "Are you hungry? Phillip brought back food for the night. It's nearly dark and not safe for you to travel alone." All Neal could say in answer to her was "Yeah, I'd like some food."

Following Aurora back to the fire, Neal sat on a rock farthest from the other three. With the rabbit done, Phillip cut it into three pieces. As he did, Neal's mouth began to water. While it's been awhile since he had wild anything, he realized that his appetite was back and that his hunger needed to be dealt with immediately. Phillip handed a piece of the rabbit to Neal, who began biting in the moment it reached his hand. From that point on, the four ate in silence.

* * *

Aurora, Phillip, and Mulan finished first. As they sat by the fire, with Neal about finished, the three grew nervous and weary. They needed answers. They needed to be sure that Neal could be trusted. Problem was, no one wanted to be the first to ask a question. After a few more minutes of silence, Mulan decided to break the wall.

"So, where did you say you were from again?" she asked, careful not to let the suspicion creep into her voice.

At that moment, Neal had taken a bite of rabbit. Sensing that he should answer quickly, he quickly chewed and swallowed the food, cleared his throat, and replied, "I didn't".

About to take another bite, he eyes flew up and caught the three of them staring at him. Looking at each of their faces, he knew then that "I didn't" would not suffice. Tearing off the last piece of rabbit, he chewed and swallowed quickly, threw the bone into the woods, and wiped his hands on his jeans. Keeping them there, Neal began to think of how he would explain it all. But the question on his mind pressed forward: would they believe him? He looked to the ground, avoiding their never-ending gaze. He tried to find words to begin, but they would not come. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and looked back up to Aurora, Phillip, and Mulan.

"I'm from a place called Storybrooke. I was with my ex-girlfriend, Emma, helping her save Storybrooke from my ex-fiancé, Tamara, and her real boyfriend, Greg, who wanted to destroy it and thus destroy magic. I, Emma, and Tamara got into a fight over one of the last of the magic beans that were growing. Tamara knocked me to the ground and pulled a gun. She then shot me, but I wouldn't let her win. However, Tamara pulled the magic bean out, threw it, and it activated. I pulled Emma out of the way, but I wasn't so lucky. I fell through the portal, leaving behind Emma and my son, Henry. Now, they think I'm dead. I have to get back to them. Please help me."

When Neal finished explaining everything, the looks on Mulan and Aurora's faces were ones of utter shock. Their eyes were wide as if they had just seen someone who was back from the dead. But their eyes also had a look of knowing in them as well, as if they knew that that was what Neal was going to say. Phillip, on the other hand, had a look of confusion. A look of uncertainty and wonder of what Aurora and Mulan had gotten into while he was gone.

"Why are you staring at me that way?" asked Neal.

"It's just…" began Aurora.

"We knew Emma. She and her mother, Snow, were here a few months back. They were trying to get back to Storybrooke as well. We had a run-in with Cora and Hook, but they got back safely." interrupted Mulan.

"Wait. So, Emma and Snow found a way back? How?" asked Neal, hoping that whatever it was that took them back to Storybrooke would still be an option.

"They went back to their castle in the Enchanted Forest to the Enchanted Wardrobe that took to your land in the first place. But, Cora showed up, and the wardrobe was destroyed. Then we met Hook who told us that Cora was looking for a compass to guide to her to Storybrooke with the remains of the wardrobe." explained Aurora.

Seeing the look on Neal's face, Mulan knew what he was thinking and said, "But, we're not sure if that is a viable option now."

Neal's face, which was full of hope and happiness, soon turned the other way. If that way was no longer available, how would he get back to Emma and Henry? He let his face fall, hiding the tears that were inevitably falling. Would he ever be able to see them again?

Watching Neal, Aurora and Mulan both bowed their heads as well. Phillip, however, was thinking. Then, an idea struck him.

"There is a Seer. She could help us figure out a way to get you back to Storybrooke. She's not that far away actually. She lives beyond the forest, in a swamp." explained Phillip.

Neal's head jerked up when Phillip started speaking. As he finished, his face began to lighten once more. There was hope. "Excellent! That is where I'll start. Thank you so much!" he exclaimed.

As he stood up from the rock, Aurora stood up as well and said, "You can't go on your own. It is dangerous from here to the swamp where she lives. We will accompany you."

"Aurora's right. You can't go out there on your own." said Phillip, standing up beside Aurora with a concerned look on his face.

Neal turned around to look at all three of them. He couldn't wait. He wanted to get back soon. He wanted to tell Emma that he was sorry. He wanted, very much, to be with her.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Wait?" he asked.

"At least wait till morning. Then we will all have a fresh start." said Aurora.

Neal pondered over this. It would be better to start in the morning he thought. Looking at the three of them, he sighed and said, "Okay. We'll go in the morning."

* * *

_As Bae threw the bean to the ground, a green portal appeared. With the swirling green light hitting his face, Bae turned to Rumple and asked, "Are you ready, Papa?" _

"_My gods, boy! What is this?" asked Rumple, who was scared and confused as to what the swirling green light was. _

"_This is it, Papa! This is how we can be together, without magic!" explained Bae. _

_Bae tugged Rumple to the edge of the portal and jumped in. However, he did not go through. Turning his head, Bae saw his father holding on to the dagger which was planted into the ground. _

"_Papa! What are you doing?!" screamed Bae. _

"_I can't, Bae! I can't!" _

"_You coward! We had a deal!" screamed Bae. _

_Before Bae let go of Rumple, however, the scene changed to a more recent time. Now, Neal was not looking up at his father as he dangled in the portal. He was looking at Emma. _

"_I'll go with you." said Emma. _

"_No, Emma. Henry needs you." replied Neal. _

_Neal looked into Emma's face and saw the tears running down her cheeks. Oh how he wanted to reach up and wipe them away! How he wanted to reach up and kiss her. But he knew that couldn't. _

"_I love you." said Emma, tears now pouring down her face. _

"_I love you, too." said Neal. _

_Then, Neal let go of Emma's hand, and everything became dark. _

Neal woke up, again with sweat running down his forehead. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. This time, when he stood up, there was no dizziness or lightheadedness. Instead, Neal strode to the front of the tent, opened the slit, and stepped out into the cool night air. The moon glistened and shed light to every part of the clearing they were in. As Neal looked up at the vast night sky, with the stars brightly shining, the only thing that he could utter was:

"I love you, Emma."


	3. The Thing You Want Most

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you like this chapter! As always, read and review! :)**

Ch. 3

"The Thing You Want Most"

"_I love you, Emma."_

* * *

Emma awoke from her slumber, looking around for the noise that jolted her from her sleep. It was as if something had just stood over her and whispered the words "I love you". As she continued her search from where she was sleeping, she caught a glimpse of all those who were asleep: Mary Margaret and David, who were beside her cuddled up together and David snoring quite loudly; Regina was on the other side of the room down below the ship, not making a sound; and then an empty bed on Regina's left. Emma stared at the unturned sheets wondering what could be keeping Gold up from sleep.

Silently, Emma stood up from her bed and began to creep over to the stairs leading up to the deck. Putting her foot on the first step, she pulled herself up and turned her head to make sure that no one had stirred. She continued in this fashion until she reached the deck of the Jolly Roger. As soon as she breached the surface, the smell of salt water and a light breeze that was blowing hit her face. Emma closed her eyes and tilted her head back as the breeze passed. Once it was gone, she opened her eyes and looked around the deck. With the moon glistening brightly upon the water and surface of the deck, Emma peered into the distance and saw a man, who was leaning on a cane, standing near the helm.

Emma made her way over to where Gold was standing, climbing the stairs as quietly as she could in the process. With Gold still staring out into the ocean, Emma quietly fell into place beside him. She then took to staring up at the heavens, as vast as they were. After a few minutes of turning her head this way and that, she brought it level with the horizon and proceeded to ask, "Couldn't sleep either?"

Gold sighed heavily, a little pissed that Emma broke the silence between them and his train of thought. "Oh," taking in a breath, "I haven't been able to sleep since Hook tried to kill me in Manhattan. Besides, I can't really sleep knowing that all chances of seeing my son again are all but naught."

Emma simply stared at the man as he said this. Nodding her head slowly, she became confused about what Gold said. Hadn't Neal and Gold been on the outs ever since he came back to Storybrooke with them? Indeed, she remembered how mad Neal was that day when they broke into his apartment in Manhattan. How not happy Neal was that his father had finally found him.

"Wait, I thought you and Neal-"she replied, unsure of where Gold was going.

"Were on the outs and not exactly talking to one another?" interrupted Gold.

Emma and Gold gave each other hard looks for what seemed like hours. Finally, Gold broke the trace between them and turned his gaze back to the ocean. His face softened into what looked like melancholy. At first glance, a person could tell that something was bothering him, something that was torturing him internally. To Emma, however, it was a look that she rarely ever saw upon the face of the most powerful man in Storybrooke. After a few more minutes of staring, she finally turned her gaze back to the ocean and listened to the water as it crashed up against the ship.

Finally, Gold turned back towards her and said, "You thought right, Ms. Swan. The relationship between my son and me had always been a complicated one."

"So why find him?" asked Emma.

Gold closed his eyes as she said this. He had hoped that she would not go there because the answer to that question was one that he did not want to admit.

Turning his body sideways, facing Emma full in the face, Gold then proceeded to explain, "Because even with the power of controlling and destroying that comes with being the Dark One, my greatest desire has always been my son. I may be a monster who has only one thing on his mind, but I have always loved Bae."

Emma gazed at Gold for a second longer then moved to look down at the floor. She understood where Gold was coming from. For indeed, she knew that she still wanted Neal, even through all the lies and abandonment in their relationship. Even still though, was her desire for Neal still strong just as it was all those years ago? Gold looked back at Emma, who still had her head down, and said finally, "The thing we want most is never quite as clear to us at first, even in the face of life."

Her head shot up, her face riddled with puzzlement. What was Gold talking about? What did he mean by "even in the face of life"? Seeing the look on her face, Gold continued, "Our desires are never one-sided. Indeed, sometimes when we think we desire something, it can turn out to be something of an entirely different nature."

With Emma's face still looking confused, Gold reached into his jacket and pulled out a small mirror. With an ornate back, decorated in many fancy swirls and a small, round mirror, Gold handed it to Emma to take.

"This mirror, many times, has shown me what my true desire is. It has shown me what I want most. I am giving this to you because I see that you are not quite certain of what you want most. Be careful though; for this mirror does not show you what you think you want but what you really want."

With her right hand tightly on the handle, Emma turned it over, examining the elegant pattern on the back. She turned it back over to the glass side, seeing her reflection stare back at her. Gold stared out into the beyond for a few more minutes and then said, "I think I am going to go and get some rest. Good night, Ms. Swan."

Emma looked up from the mirror and stared at Mr. Gold. "Good night, Mr. Gold."

Gold turned around, facing away from the ocean and Emma. He gave Emma one last nod before hobbling away towards the stairs and down to the sleeping quarters. Emma was now alone on the deck. Taking the mirror in both hands, she stared down at it for a minute longer. What if Gold was really telling the truth? Could this mirror really show what a person's true desire is? Before Emma had a chance to find out, she heard footsteps on the stairs again. Emma stashed the mirror in the inside pocket of the red jacket she was wearing quickly, not wanting whoever was up to find out about it. She turned around to see who it was climbing up the stairs and found that it was Hook.

"What are you doing up?" asked Emma, trying with all her might to mask the sadness she was feeling.

"Well, I did come up here to check on the ship, but I did not however bank on stumbling upon what must have been a very interesting conversation." replied Hook, giving her his signature smirk.

"Oh that."

She turned back to the ocean, taking in the breeze that was passing by. A few seconds later, she felt Hook come up next to her and begin to look out to the water himself. Silence reigned for the next few minutes. All that could be heard were the sound of the waves crashing up against the bottom of the ship. And then…

"Do you really think trusting Rumplestiltskin is the best way for you to go with this journey? There are other people, better people, on this ship that you can trust." whispered Hook, for fear that someone still might be listening.

Turning around to face Hook and taking a couple of steps back, Emma replied, "You mean like you?"

Hook simply smirked at Emma. Emma rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to the sea, feeling stupid that she even asked that question. Hook advanced a couple of steps towards Emma, brushing up against her jacket. In turn, Emma took two steps to the left away from Hook. Seeing this move, Hook said, "Oh c'mon lass, you can trust me."

"Really?" responded Emma, turning around so quick that she nearly knocked Hook to the floor, "Why can I trust you?"

Advancing upon her again, Hook said, "Because…we have more in common than you think we do."

As Hook was making his way closer to her, Emma thought on those last words of his and couldn't help but think that he was right. They do have more in common than one would think. While, yes, Hook was a pirate, hence a thief, a liar, and up to no good really, he was honorable and decent. While she did not know Hook's whole story, she did see, every time she looked into his eyes, sadness. A sadness that she herself was familiar with.

As she thought on all of this, Hook grew closer. So close in fact that both of their noses were touching each other. Emma soon grew uncomfortable to Hook being so close to her, but the thing was that she didn't want him to move away from her. Hook leaned in to Emma, his lips growing ever so closer to hers. Before Emma realized it, she herself was leaning in towards Hook. It was not much longer after this realization that their lips touched.

As soon as their lips touched, Emma and Hook pulled away from each other, just ever so slightly. Hook, for the first time that Emma had seen, did not have on the smirk that annoyed her but instead had on smile: a genuine smile. Emma returned with her own smile and leaned back in towards Hook, with Hook reciprocating. However, before their lips could touch again, a sudden jerk from the ship caused Hook and Emma to fall on top of each other.

Hearing rapid footsteps from below make their way to the deck, Emma and Hook quickly stood up from the ground. Turning to see what caused the commotion, Hook looked out into the ocean and saw green light begin to emanate out.

"What is that?!" yelled Emma, not sure what the green light was about.

"The portal, lass!" replied Hook, hurrying over to the helm and began to command the ship to turn.

As Emma stood looking out to the portal, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, and Rumple ran up the stairs and reached the deck. Joining Emma and Hook, all four of them stared at what had woken them from their sleep.

"Prepare for transport!" yelled Hook as the ship grew closer to the portal to Neverland.

Everyone scurried to grab onto something. Once everyone had secured themselves, Hook steered the Jolly Roger into the portal. Emma's hair began to wave violently around her. She grabbed tighter to the rope she was holding to and closed her eyes.

The ship fell into the portal, and a second later, all was calm in Mirror World.

* * *

The Jolly Roger landed upon the horizon. Everyone let go of what they were holding onto and made their way up to the helm once more. In the distance, Emma beheld the looks of an island. An island that held mountains and a beach. An island that held the one thing that was precious to her: Henry.

"Welcome to Neverland, everyone!" said Rumplestiltskin.


	4. Magic is Power

**A/N: Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter! Now, I must warn you: this chapter is darker than the previous three. Main reason being is that I wanted to show Peter Pan in a light where he will do anything to gain power, even if it is murder. And also show that he is ruthless. Read and review please! And THANK YOU if you are one who has been reading my story. Thank you for giving it a chance. :)**

Ch. 4

"Magic is Power"

All was quiet in the dark, dank cell. Henry laid on the floor in the pool of light that was flooding in through the small, rectangular window. With his knees pulled up close to him and his left arm tucked under, he slept soundly with the occasional toss. Up by his head, there lay a plate with a piece of bread on it, along with a glass of water next to the plate. Henry laid asleep in the middle of the cell, for that was where the small window was located. On the opposite wall and to the right corner was the door. On the left wall that was farthest from the door, hanging in the center, was a torch. As the light from the torch illuminated the wall, spots of dried blood from previous occupants could be seen splattered upon its face.

_BOOM! _Henry sat straight up, knocking the water over in the process. Frantically, Henry turned his head in all directions of the cell in search for the loud noise that woke him up. Suddenly, he felt a wave of warm air rush past him. Despite being surrounded by four walls, this wave seemed to pass through any barrier that it came across. Feeling suddenly hopeful, Henry stood up quickly and rushed to the window. On his toes, he grabbed the metal, gray bars and looked out into the distance. Although he could not see the ocean, he knew deep down that something good was coming. He knew, in his heart, that something, or someone, was coming to save him.

"Mom." said Henry.

Letting go of the bar, he stretched his right hand out of the window. He knew it was futile. He knew that he wasn't going to feel anything except for air. Still, he reached out, in hope that something would take his hand. Stretching his arm as far as it could go across the bars, his fingers touched a barrier. Out of nowhere, a giant, invisible force blew Henry back into the cell, knocking him onto his back. With the wind knocked out of him, Henry panted heavily, the feeling of nausea stirring inside. Catching his breath, he laid there on his back for a few more minutes, and then, with his hands, pushed himself up into a sitting position. His eyes came into focus once more and found himself staring at the small, rectangular window.

He wasn't sure exactly where the warm wave came from, but he knew, sitting there, what that warm wave of comfort meant: Emma was there, in Neverland. She was there to rescue him. A smile began to form upon Henry's face at this wonderful thought, only to be extinguished a few seconds later. For indeed, Henry at that moment began to recall the conversation that he had had with Peter Pan upon his arrival. A conversation that immediately had Henry concerned for Emma's life.

* * *

_The waves crashed upon the beach. The seagulls flew in circles around the shallow end searching for food. Everything was calm upon the shoreline of Neverland. Suddenly, three figures appeared out of nowhere. Standing side by side, the three strangers stood gazing at the tree line that led into the heart of Neverland. Standing on the far right was a man of average height and a look of accomplishment and pride upon his face. On the far left was a woman with dark skin and dark hair, with a look of intimidation, mixed with accomplishment, plastered on her face. And in the middle of the two was a boy, who had brown hair and a scared look upon him. _

"_Where are we?" asked Henry, with fear and apprehension in his voice. _

"_Neverland, Henry. Neverland." said Greg. _

_They stared up at the trees for a few more seconds, and then Tamara stepped in front of Greg and Henry, leading the way into the forest. Leaves crunching under his feet, Henry began to survey his surroundings. While he had read the story of Peter Pan in school, the reality was vastly different. Indeed, the island was not the one he remembered reading about in school. The trees stood empty of their leaves, showing no sign of life whatsoever. The only bird that made a sound that Henry could hear was the crow. And as the three advanced into the center of the island, a dense fog began to form, making it impossible to see what was around. _

_Looking to and fro, no life made itself known to Henry. Indeed, as they drew further in, Henry could feel all hope extinguish itself inside him. The sun barely shined through, casting what little light it could upon the ground. Finally, the three reached a clearing at the end of the pathway they were currently on. In the center, as Henry saw, was the ever infamous Hangman's Tree. _

_Entranced by the sight, Henry almost tripped and fell when he felt a hard tug at his arm. Moving towards the tree, he saw Tamara open a door in the tree and then jump down into a hole. Stopping at the entrance, Greg let go of Henry's arm and said, "You first."_

_Henry stared at Greg for a second longer and then down into the hole. He was afraid to jump in. He didn't even know what he would be jumping down into. He thought of running, escaping from the two of them, but then he realized that he had no idea what Neverland held. Without any other options, Henry stepped forward and jumped down into the hole. _

_CRUNCH! Henry landed, feet first, on solid dirt. There was a torch behind where he was standing and one ahead a few feet, indicating a long dark tunnel. He moved his feet forward slowly, unsure of where to step. Once he was in the tunnel, he heard another crunch of dirt and realized that Greg had jumped down. Feeling a tight grip upon his arm, Greg dragged him further into the tunnel. Passing torch after torch, Henry became scared even more. Finally, light appeared at the end of the tunnel. _

_Reaching the end, Greg and Henry caught up with Tamara. Stopping at the tunnel's edge, Henry then peered into what appeared to be a large, hollowed out cave. In the center of the cave was a circular, hollowed out table, with smoke spilling over the edges. Along all the sides of the cave stood teenage boys, dressed as soldiers in various animal skins and articles of clothing made from leaves and holding spears and some daggers. At the other end of the cave, there were stairs that led up to a throne that faced away from everyone, with arms as pale as a ghost resting on the arms of the chair. Finally, Henry's eyes lifted to the ceiling, where a circle had been cut out from the rock to let in the light from the sun. Henry continued to marvel at the size of the room until Greg finally uttered, "Welcome Henry to the Home Office!"_

_All three of them walked on in, with Henry looking around at the boys. All of them had serious, militaristic countenances. Each one stood as still as a statue. They passed the hollowed out table that had smoke spilling out and up to where the throne was. Stopping in front of the stairs, Greg finally let go of Henry's arm. Then Tamara said in a loud voice, "Sir, we have the boy!"_

"_Excellent! Well done, you two!" said the figure sitting on the throne. _

_Henry then saw the figure lift up his right arm and twirl his right index finger. As he did, the throne itself turned around to reveal Peter Pan. _

_Standing up, Peter walked down the stairs and stood just a few feet away from Henry, saying, "Ahhh, Henry. It is wonderful to finally meet you."_

_Peter's mouth curled into a sly smile. Henry could've sworn that he saw a gleam of red in the man's eye. Keeping his eye on Henry for a moment longer, Peter then turned his gaze to Greg and Tamara. _

"_Thank you, you two. You have served me well." said Peter. Then, he turned his back on the three of them and climbed the three steps again. Without turning around, Peter then yelled, "Lost boys!"_

_Before they knew it, two of the lost boys had daggers at Greg and Tamara's throats. Greg's eyes widened. Tamara struggled, but to no avail. Then, Peter said, "Kill them."_

_Two daggers ripped through the throats of Greg and Tamara, blood spilling upon the floor, the two lost boys, and Henry. Henry gasped, his face full of shock, his eyes wide. As he watched as Greg and Tamara's bodies fell to the floor, he began to feel sick to his stomach. As he watched the blood spill from their necks and their faces become pale as ghosts, he found it hard to take a breath. Panting heavily, he tried to avoid Greg and Tamara's eyes. When he could breathe again, he said, "Why did you do that?!"_

_Peter turned around to face Henry. With a wave of his hand, Greg and Tamara disappeared, along with the blood that had spilled to the floor. A tear escaped Henry's eye, falling down his cheek and then off his face. Seeing this, Peter simply smiled again and replied, "They were of no use to me anymore, Henry. They had served their purpose, which was to bring you to me."_

"_What do you want with me?! What do I have to do with destroying magic?" asked Henry tearfully. _

_Peter laughed. "Destroy magic?!" He continued to laugh at this, even harder than before. Once Peter had calmed down again, he noticed that Henry's expression had hardened. He was not happy that the man had laughed at him. Immediately, Peter's expression matched that of Henry's. He walked down the steps again until he was only a few feet away from Henry. _

"_I do not want to destroy magic, Henry. I only told them that to get them to do what I wanted. You see, Henry," Peter began to circle Henry, "Greg and Tamara were people who naturally hated magic. They hated that it existed. They wanted it gone. So, I took advantage of their foolish and idiotic beliefs. I told them that I wanted to destroy magic, and that the only way to accomplish that was through a prophecy that led to you. Naturally, they realized that I wanted you, so they made that their mission." explained Peter, stopping in front of Henry again. _

_Looking up at his face, Henry saw that Peter's expression had hardened more, if that was even possible. What was more, he thought that he saw his eyes turn red again. Whatever he saw, he became confused about what his real plan was. _

"_So, why do you want me?" asked Henry apprehensively, afraid of the answer that was inevitably coming. _

_Henry saw Peter's face light up with excitement, the sly smile returning. It was as if Peter was expecting Henry to ask him this. "I want you, Henry, because you are the thing that the Savior loves the most. And so, by capturing you, I draw the Savior to me and am able to capture her magic."_

_Henry looked at Peter, confused. Who was he talking about? Why did he want their magic? As he stared deeper into Peter's eyes, realization finally hit, and Henry's eyes widened. "My mom? You want my mom? Why?"_

_Peter smiled once again. He thought the boy would not be as quick and intelligent. Peter began to circle Henry once again, explaining, "Ms. Swan, as you very well know, is the product of true love. And because of that, she is very powerful. She possesses a type of magic that anyone would __kill__ to have themselves. Ms. Swan possesses a type of magic that can make an already powerful person supreme."_

"_But why? Why do you want her magic?" asked Henry. _

_At this point, Peter stopped circling Henry and got down in front of his face and said, "Magic is everything, Henry. It can allow a person to do many things, limitless things. It can allow a person to have absolute control over everything." _

_If Henry was seeing things before, he certainly was not seeing things now. For indeed, as he gazed into the eyes of Peter Pan as he said all of this, his eyes definitely turned red. Blood red. And they remained that way as he whispered, still bent down, nose to nose with Henry, "Magic is Power!"_

_As Peter stood back up and away from Henry, he began to cackle, high and loud. Suddenly, Henry felt two hands grab his arms and drag him away from Peter. _

* * *

Peter stood at the circular table, with his hands grasping the edge and a delightful and sly smile upon his face. For in the middle of the hollow table, the image of the Jolly Roger had appeared. For indeed, if anyone entered Neverland, whether by sea or by land, Peter knew immediately. He waved his hand, and the image that was in front of him changed. The Jolly Roger as a whole was no longer showing. Instead, only one person aboard the ship was occupying Peter's attention: Emma. Peter's smile grew even bigger, and his eyes grew even redder.

"Lost boys!" yelled Peter, still grasping the table with both hands and staring at the blonde in the center.

Immediately, a legion of teenage boys gathered around the table. With eyes on Peter, they stood straight up, with their spears in one hand and their daggers in the other.

Not taking his eyes of the image in the center, Peter said, "Go to the beach and give our guests a warm welcome."

The Lost Boys began to turn away from Peter. As they made their way to the tunnel, Peter's booming voice stopped them in their tracks. They turned back as he said, "Oh, and one last thing…"

With his eyes redder than ever, he stared at Emma and said, "Capture Ms. Swan."


	5. A Great Love

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry about the long wait. This chapter has been a BEAR to write lol. It is a little longer than the previous four, but I hope that you like it just as well. As always, read and REVIEW! Love you guys!**

**BTW, what did you guys think about the season 3 premiere?! Last week's episode?! My opinion, I think this is going to be a good season. I especially love that they're putting the focus back on our main characters. **

Ch. 5

"A Great Love"

At its high point, the sun beat down into a clearing of the Enchanted Forest. Each ray of light pierced through the trees, forming small circles on the ground. Everything was silent, except for the crickets' chirp and the blue jays' song. Near the edge of the clearing, a doe and her fawn searched for food. Taking what they could find, they went around the circumference of the clearing searching.

_SNAP! _The doe's head jolted upward, in search for the source of the noise. She walked in front of her offspring, making sure that it was protected. When it heard another noise, the doe and the fawn ran out of the clearing away from danger. A few seconds later, the source of the noise emerged from the trees and tall weeds: Neal, Mulan, Aurora, and Phillip. Each stepped foot into the clearing, looking around to see if any predators were lying in wait.

"This is a good place to stop." said Mulan.

Aurora and Phillip began to unpack everything. As Mulan searched for wood for the fire, Neal began setting up the lean-to for anyone who wanted to sleep. From the moment they began back near the beach to now, Neal could not stop thinking about Emma and Henry. He could not stop thinking about what happened back in Storybrooke. Emma had said that she loved him, and then he fell through the portal, landing on the beach of the land that he once grew up in. He hated the fact that she thought now that he was dead. He hated the fact that the only way he knew of getting back to Storybrooke might not be an option.

Halfway through with putting up the lean-to, Neal's mind wondered to the Seer that they were seeking. He knew that Seers did not have that much magic, but that didn't stop him from feeling skeptical about seeing this person. While seeing the future wasn't quite magic, it still brought about great amounts of uncertainty and doubt. What if this Seer isn't who they say they are? What if they can't help? How will he then be able to reunite with Emma and his son? All of these questions, and more, floated around incessantly in his mind. Once he was finished with the lean-to, his mind could not bear anymore questions. He needed answers.

"This Seer," he began, looking up at Aurora and Phillip, with a confused look on his face, "will it be able to help me? I've experienced a lot here, but I have learned not to put much trust in things that come easily to you."

Aurora and Phillip looked at each other. The looks on their faces were ones of concern, concern for the fact that where they were headed was not travelled by many. Phillip continued to stare at his fiancé and then gently nodded at her, as if to say "Tell him". Aurora closed her eyes for a minute, trying to find words to explain everything to Neal. She opened her eyes after a few seconds, turned her head from Phillip to Neal, and uttered, "The Seer that we are taking you to not only sees the future but also practices magic. For many years, she practiced Dark magic. As a matter of fact, many feared her and her wrath if she was provoked. However, recently she has not been into dark magic. Many say that something happened that prevents her from using dark magic. Others say that something happened to where she willingly gave up dark magic."

As soon as Aurora finished, all Neal could do was stare at her. All his life, he had done a pretty good job at keeping away from magic. His father always said, _"All magic comes with a price."_ And the price that Neal paid for magic was the loss of his father. Now, he thought, magic was pulling him back in. No matter how much he distanced himself, he felt as if magic was saying to him, "You can't get rid of me."

Neal looked away from Aurora, finishing the lean-to. Aurora and Phillip continued to stare at him, wondering why, all of a sudden, he felt nervous and wanted to know about the Seer. Still avoiding their gaze, he walked over to the edge of the clearing and began looking for sticks and twigs that they can use for the fire. Neal saw two lying together and bent down to pick them up. When he saw that there were no more in the area, he walked into the trees to find more, with a scared look upon his face.

* * *

A blanket of fog was before them. Everything felt damp, moist. The air was heavy and humid. The sounds of frogs croaking and the continued chirp of the grasshopper reached their ears. As Neal, Mulan, Aurora, and Phillip ventured further into the fog, the harder it became to see what was in front of them. Given that the ground was all mud, every step that they took was slippery and a risk for falling. Another thing that was problematic was the fact that with the fog they could not see if they were being followed. At the slightest sound that was unusual, every hand that had a weapon to pull quickly lunged for the handle, and every foot in the group immediately stopped, with all eight sets of eyes scanning for an attacker.

The deeper that they went into the swamp, the hotter it became. Beads of sweat began to fall from Neal's forehead. While the temperature was quite miserable, it did not compare to the dangers that were set in front of his eyes. Indeed, as the group treaded upon a long, narrow log that went over a river, Neal's eyes couldn't help but wander to the alligators that were lounging nearby. Before he could freak out, he remembered that it was easy to fall into the river and become food. Moving his eyes once again, he brought his focus back on balancing himself upon the log. For what seemed like forever, all four jumped off the log and continued on their way.

Over fallen trees and soggy ground, the group of four treaded carefully so as not to fall or get caught in a trap. As the minutes passed by, the fog grew thicker and the ability to see more difficult. Just when Neal was about to suggest turning back and finding another way, he noticed that the other three had stopped near something. The closer he came, the more visible he could see the object: a boat. Judging from the size of the boat, it looked as though it could only hold two people. But that was not what the other three were staring at. When Neal finished surveying the boat, he glanced up and saw, in the center of a lake, a small house on stilts. Made for one person, the house had a ladder leading up from the water to the small landing that led to the front door. In the window to the left of the wooden door was a candle glowing faintly from where they stood.

Walking to the water's edge and staring at the shack a minute longer, Neal climbed into the boat and grabbed the ore that was lying inside. Holding the ore as if ready to row, he looked back up at the other three and asked, "Anybody else want to hop in?"

Aurora, Phillip, and Mulan looked at each other. Then, Mulan stepped forward and quickly climbed into the boat with Neal, with her hand on her sword, ready to fight. Looking up at the other two, she then said, "You two stay here and keep guard. Make sure nothing else comes this way."

Once she was finished, Mulan looked back to Neal and nodded at him. Neal, in turn, nodded at Phillip and both he and Aurora pushed the boat into the lake. Neal placed the ore into the water and began to row. Slowly, but surely, the boat began moving closer to the center of the lake and thus closer to the Seer's shack. Before long, Aurora and Phillip were barely visible through the fog, but the candle in the window of the shack now glowed more brightly.

The boat came to an abrupt halt. Neal turned around to see what obstacle was in the way and found that it was the ladder leading to the small landing. Handing the ore to Mulan, Neal tied the boat, with the rope on the floor, to the ladder and the other end to the seat he was on.

With the boat secured, Neal grabbed the ladder and began to climb up. Putting the ore on the floor of the boat, Mulan followed Neal. Once they were both on the landing in front of the door, Neal turned to Mulan and said, "Stay here and keep watch on the boat. I'll go in and talk to the Seer."

Mulan nodded her head and turned back to stare out onto the lake. Gazing a minute longer at the soldier, Neal then turned around, facing the door that led into the shack. Slowly, he made his way over until his face was just inches away from the door. Feeling every bit as scared, he took in a deep breath and repeatedly thought, _"Please have answers"_. He placed his hand upon the knob and gently turned, opening the door and stepping in, and then closed it behind him.

* * *

With his body halfway turned to the door, Neal gazed around at the Seer's home. It had a rustic feel to it. In the center of the room, a cauldron was hanging above a fire that had been out for some time. The walls were covered with shelves upon shelves of books. Many of them were quite thick and had elaborate designs or writing on the spine. The others were much smaller, not as thick, and did quite well at hiding in the shelf between the thick books. While most of the shelves against the walls dedicated themselves to holding books, there was one set of shelves on the right of Neal before a hollowed-out area that must have been a resting area that contained vials of potions and magical objects.

Neal finished surveying the room and reluctantly pulled his hand away from the knob. Standing quite still, he looked around once more, hoping that the seer was somewhere in the room with him. He took a couple of steps away from the door and yelled, "Hello?! Anyone here?"

Silence continued. Neal took a few more steps into the room, drawing closer to the cauldron and hearing a couple of creaks from the floor below. He stared into the cauldron itself and found quite a bit of dust in its bowels. He walked closer to the cauldron, put his finger inside, and wiped off a good bit of dust. Staring at his finger, he began to wonder how long the cauldron had actually been used. Indeed, he thought, if it has been awhile since the cauldron had been in use, maybe the seer was no longer living there. Or worse, he thought, maybe she no longer existed.

He rubbed his thumb and index finger together, wiping off the dust from the cauldron. As he did so, he looked around once more to see if he had missed something that indicated that the seer still lived here. Coming up with nothing, he did the only thing that he knew would give him an answer:

"Hello?! Is anyone here?!"

"Hello, Baelfire."

The voice from behind startled Neal. As he turned around to see who the voice belonged to, he lost his balance. Before Neal could lose his footing completely, he suddenly felt lightweight. He looked around him to see why he felt lightweight and saw that the person behind was using magic to make him float in midair. Moving slightly away from the cauldron, the seer lowered her hand, thus lowering Neal back to the ground.

"That cauldron is older than you, my child. It was given to me by a great sorcerer and friend."

Neal patted his jeans, making sure that the dust was off. When he finished, he looked up, taken aback. Standing before him was a stout woman of age, strands of grey hair hanging down from the edge of the hat she was wearing. Standing tall, she came about to Neal's chest. She wore a simple brown tunic, one that a servant girl would wear for work. Finished surveying her from head to toe, Neal's eyes landed back upon her face.

"Ho- How do you know my name?" he asked, hesitantly.

"My dear Baelfire, I have been expecting you for quite some time now. I have known that you would be coming to see me. I am a Seer after all." she explained, a smile forming upon her lips, widening across her face.

"Right," he replied, standing up a little straighter.

Still staring at her, Neal continued, "Look, I'm trying to find a way back to…"

"Storybrooke." the Seer interrupted.

"Yes," said Neal, a quizzical look still etched on his face, "And I think I can get there by means of what's left a magical wardrobe. Do you know if that is still possible?"

The Seer began to walk away from Neal, going over to her shelf containing the many potions and magical objects it held. As she searched for a particular object, she replied, "The magical wardrobe does still work and will take you back to Storybrooke."

A smile and wave of relief came over Neal. Finally, he thought, he would be able to get back to Storybrooke, tell Emma that he loved her and was sorry, and pick up where they left off. He would be able to continue to get to know his son and be the father that he should've been to Henry.

Grabbing what she needed from the shelf, the Seer turned back around and saw the joy upon Neal's face. She walked over, with the potion that she grabbed, to the cauldron, saying, "However, Storybrooke is not your destination."

The smile faded from Neal's face as a quizzical one took its place. Furrowing his brow, he stepped closer to the Seer at the cauldron and asked, "What? What do you mean Storybrooke isn't my destination? That is where my loved ones are, right?"

The woman simply stared at him, with a sad look upon her face. Then, she waved her hand, bringing up a fire under the cauldron and putting water inside. The Seer uncorked the bottle she was holding in her hand and began to dump the contents into the basin. Immediately, smoke began to rise from the cauldron.

"This will let you see where Emma and your son are. All you have to do is tell it to show you them." explained the Seer, stepping back so that Neal had enough room.

Neal was confused. What did this have to do with getting him back to Emma? Why did the Seer know who Emma and Henry were? Realizing that the Seer had stepped back, Neal stepped up to the cauldron and said to the smoke, "Show me Emma and Henry."

Smoke swirled around the cauldron. In just a few seconds, a picture had been conjured. Emma was staring out at something from the edge of a ship, with a blue, cloudless sky in the background. Unfortunately, Neal couldn't see what Emma was staring at. But, he could see the look of fear in her eyes. He wished that he was there with her, holding her, comforting her. He stretched out his hand towards the smoke as if he would be able to touch Emma. However, before his fingers touched the picture, it vanished, smoke once again swirling around. Then, another picture had been conjured up. As soon as Neal saw the picture, he felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. For indeed, what he now saw in front of him was Henry, sitting underneath the light from the window, losing all strength and hope. Neal saw his boy lift his hand as far as he could to the window from where he sat and say "Mom."

The picture disappeared, with the smoke from the cauldron dissipating. Neal turned back around, facing the Seer once again, with tears in his eyes.

"Why is my son in a cell? Why does Emma look scared and on a ship?" he asked.

Unable to breathe, Neal turned around, facing the wall. He let the tears fall, sad that his family was in trouble and he was in a completely different world. He wiped the tears from his eyes and took in slow, deep breathes. When his breathing had stabilized, he turned back around, finding the Seer still standing where she was, and asking, "Where's Emma and my son?"

Looking Neal straight in the eye, the Seer uttered, "Neverland."

His voice caught in his throat. His breathe became ragged once more. Neal bent down, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. _"Why are they there? What does he want with them?"_ he thought. Staring at the floor, Neal breathed in, eyes closed. After a few minutes, his eyes flew open, realization hitting him. He stood back up, facing the Seer once more.

"Pan wants them, doesn't he?" he asked.

The Seer nodded. Neal closed his eyes once more, thinking of why Pan would want Emma and Henry. When he couldn't figure it out, he opened his eyes, but with a new plan in place. Instead of Storybrooke, he would be traveling to Neverland, to save his son and the woman he loved.

"How can I get to Neverland?"

The Seer smiled at him. Turning away once again, she walked over to her shelf of potions and objects. It took her longer than it did with the other potion to find what she was looking for. Hands going everywhere, she turned down bottles to look in the back; uncorked bottles of those that were too opaque to see inside; and opened small trunks on others. After searching, she finally found what she needed and came back to the cauldron. Starting it up again, the Seer began throwing everything she had gathered into the cauldron. Neal stepped back, letting her have room to work. Watching her throw things in, he was confused as ever as to what she was doing, and saying, for that matter.

Once she finished casting all the spells she needed, smoke began to rise. It changed several different colors until everything stopped. Nothing rose from the cauldron now. No sounds were heard from the cauldron. The Seer reached in, almost losing her balance, and brought back out her hand clinched in a fist. She turned to Neal and began to speak.

"I know what is in your past, Baelfire. Magic has not been kind to you. It has made you lose so much. For many years you have tried to avoid magic. But I also know that Emma, the woman you seek, is a great love to you."

Perplexed, Neal stood still. He wasn't sure of what to say. How did this woman know so much about him or what he has gone through? How could she know that Emma was the love of his life? He stared at the Seer, more confused than ever.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Love, true love, can make us do the most unexpected things in life."

She opened her hand to reveal a magic bean. Neal looked down at what she was holding and suddenly, his eyes bulged out. He looked back up at her, seeing the smile on her face and her head urging him to take the bean. He reached out his hand, grabbed the bean from her palm, and held it up with his thumb and index finger.

"How- How did you do this? I thought there were no more magic beans in this land?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "Ehhh, when you have power like mine, and the resources, anything is possible. Now," standing up straighter, looking Neal directly in the eye, "as you know, throw this bean into a body of water and it will take you to where you want to go. However, with Neverland, you must travel to a place before Neverland. A place of mirrors. Once you get there, you will need to find the right mirror to get to Neverland."

As the Seer finished, Neal nodded at her, listening to her every word. He smiled and put the bean into his pocket.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." he said.

He turned away from her and walked back to the door. Before his hand could reach the knob, however, the Seer yelled, "Baelfire?!"

Neal turned around to stare back at the Seer. The smile that was on her face a minute before was now gone. A frown had replaced the smile. However, this sadness was not just apparent here but also in her eyes.

"When you arrive in Neverland, beware. The journey you seek will not be an easy one. A great loss will impact you in a big way."


	6. Entering Storybrooke

**A/N: Hey everyone! Here is the next installment. This one is rather long, but it also takes place back in STORYBROOKE. After this chapter, I will not be coming back to Storybrooke for awhile. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. Read...**

**BTW, the song at the beginning is by Backstreet Boys. It is a random selection, but I needed something different to start off the chapter. **

Ch. 6

"Entering Storybrooke"

_Tell me why_

_Ain't nothin' but a heartache_

_Ain't nothin' but a mistake_

_Tell me why_

_I never wanna hear you say _

_I want it that way_

_'Cause I want it that way _

As the song ended, Dylan reached over to turn down the volume on the radio. He then gazed out his windshield at the beautiful day in front of him. The sky was a light, cloudless blue with the sun shining down upon the road. The trees to the forest on either side of the car whizzed by as Dylan sped down the road. With his back against the driver's seat, both hands on the wheel, Dylan smiled at the beautiful day that beheld him. Suddenly, he heard a buzz come from below. He looked down into the front seat to find his phone vibrating, with the name "Lori" on the caller ID. Dylan sighed heavily, picked up the phone from the seat, and flipped it open to answer.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Why did you walk out?! We weren't finished talking yet!" screamed Lori through the other end of the line.

"I was finished talking, Lori. I don't have anything more to say to you. We are finished." replied Dylan.

He hung up the phone and threw it into the backseat. He sighed again, shook his head, and turned up the radio once more. A new song was playing, one that Dylan didn't particularly like so he changed the station. Once he settled on a station that was playing a song he did like, he turned up the volume more and began singing along. For a few minutes, he did this until he thought he heard something. He turned down the music to get a better listen and discovered that it was his cell phone vibrating again.

"Ughh! Leave me alone, Lori!" he screamed.

Eventually, the vibrating stopped and silence reigned. He laid his head back on the headrest and continued to drive. His cell phone vibrated once more, but he ignored it. Too angry and distracted, he kept the music off, now simply driving down the road and enjoying the beautiful scenery of sun and trees.

After what felt like an hour of driving, Dylan came upon turns in the road. He twisted and turned the wheel, slowed and sped up, until he came upon the last turn. Coming out of it, he was back on a straight road. He looked around on either side of the car, admiring the scenery. Gazing upon the right side, he suddenly noticed a sign ahead. As he grew closer to the sign, he could finally make out what the white letters on the green background read: ENTERING STORYBROOKE.

* * *

Silence reigned in Granny's. Everyone's head was turned to the door, either with their jaws all the way to the floor or with their eyes bulging out of their sockets. Ruby stood on the counter, arms in the air, eyes wide open. Belle, behind the counter as well, stood stock still with her hand tightly on the Cloaking Spell. King George stood in front of the door with a wide smile on his face.

"I can activate the Cloaking Spell." said George.

No one could move a muscle. No one could say anything or argue against George being the one to activate the spell Rumple gave Belle. No one could do anything simply because they knew who George was and they knew what he was capable of. It just wasn't anything magical. After a few more minutes of this, Ruby was the first to "unfreeze". She put down her arms, jumped down from the counter, and walked over to where George was standing.

"No, you can't." she said defiantly, looking at George straight in the eye and with the fiercest look upon her face.

Standing a little straighter, he returned this look from Ruby with his own. He then let go of the gaze, turned toward the crowd, and stepped forward.

"Okay, I can't perform magic. But, I did not say that to make you think I could. I said it because I wanted your attention." George explained, now walking back and forth in front of everyone, keeping his gaze upon the people.

"The so-called prince that has been leading you and this town has once again gone. Gone because of a personal reason. Is that the kind of leader that you want running this town? A leader who, after all these years, still puts personal matters before everything else. A leader who thinks about his own family before the needs of your families."

George stared out into the crowd. A crowd who shared the same look: a look of anger and resentment. Not at David, but at George. Having had enough, Ruby stood up on one of the tables and voiced what everyone was thinking.

"Guys, don't listen to him. David and Mary Margaret went to Neverland to save Henry. Henry, guys. They didn't just forget about us. It's time for all of us to start stepping up and be leaders while they're away. That is what they would want. They would want us to start stepping up and learn how to go on if they're not here."

"Ruby's right, everyone," said Belle.

The effect was immediate. The crowd at that point turned from Ruby to Belle, waiting for her to continue. As everyone stared at her, Belle's mind went blank. She didn't know what to say. She had never done this before. Sure, she defeated the yaoguai with Mulan and basically rehabilitated the most powerful man in the realm and Storybrooke. But as far as being a leader, that she has never experienced.

Belle stood behind the counter, unsure of where to start. She opened her mouth thinking that something would just come out. When nothing did, she closed it again and started averting her gaze from the crowd. She looked over at Ruby with a "Help me, I don't know what to say" look, hoping that the answer would be written upon her face. But all Ruby did was nod her head a little in encouragement and smile. Finally, words came to Belle's mind.

Climbing up onto the counter, Belle peered down at the crowd and said, "Yes, our leaders have left us. But Ruby is right. We can't just expect that David and Mary Margaret will always be there to lead us and tell us what's going on and what needs to happen. We have to take charge until they return. We have to learn how to survive on our own."

After saying this, Belle looked around at the faces in the crowd, surprised. People were smiling at her. Many of them were nodding their heads, encouraging her to continue. Taken aback by this, she gathered herself up and continued on, "We can do this. All of us. Yes, we came close with Greg and Tamara, but we are prepared now to not let something similar happen to us again. While none of us have the ability to perform magic, there is one person that we have forgotten that can: Mother Superior. "

Realization dawned on everyone as Belle said the last part. Suddenly, chatter filled the diner once again. Belle smiled as she looked down at everyone. She took charge, calmed the crowd, and was able to give everyone hope that things would be all right. She looked up to Ruby, who was still standing on the table in the corner, smiling as well and giving her thumbs up. Belle smiled at this and mouthed to Ruby "Thank you".

The chatter in the diner now grew even louder. Belle stepped down from the counter with help from one of the dwarfs. Ruby, likewise, stepped down from the table. Reaching for her pocket to retrieve something, Belle suddenly realized that something was already in her hand. She unclenched her fist and her eyes bulged. Indeed, what she had in her hand the whole time was the spell that Rumple had given her. She quickly looked up, searched for Ruby, but because of the crowd, she couldn't spot her. It suddenly dawned on her what needed to be done.

Climbing back up onto the counter, Belle put her thumb and forefinger into her mouth and whistled. Instantly, all eyes were on Belle. The only sound that would've been heard was that of a pin dropping.

"Ok everyone! Here's what we're going to do: Ruby and I will find Mother Superior and enact the spell. For the rest of you, after we're done here, go and spread the word that the whole town will be meeting at Town Hall for speeches and the election in an hour. Right now though, do we have any nominations for who should be our mayor and sheriff while Snow, Charming, and Emma are away?"

Everyone looked around at each other. Whispers filled the air as people began discussing who they thought should be the mayor and sheriff. As they conversed, one hand that was removed from the crowd shot up. It was King George.

"I would like to nominate myself for the position of mayor." he said, putting his hand down and standing tall with a smile on his face.

"Okay. Anyone else?" bellowed Belle.

The crowd at this point had gathered into one big circle. As they continued conversing, King George stood by the door with the smile still plastered on his face. He knew that no one would have the guts to go up against him. He knew that he would run unopposed. However, that idea was short-lived. With her hand in the air, Granny looked up at Belle, with a smile on her face, and said, "We, as a group, nominate Belle for the position of mayor."

Smiles were plastered on all around. Belle's eyes widened as she heard the announcement. Bringing her hand that didn't have the spell in it up to her head, she fumbled for words. Belle didn't know what to say. Of course, she was flattered, but all the same, her face had a great amount of uncertainty upon it.

Belle continued to search for words as everyone waited for an answer. After a few minutes, she made up her mind. She gazed upon the crowd, opened her mouth, and said, "I accept the nomination."

Applause filled the diner. The smile Belle had on widened. She knew that people in town liked her, but she didn't know that she was liked this much. Her eyes scanned the applauding crowd, laughing as they did. When they reached the clock that was on the wall above the kitchen window, however, the smile faded from Belle's face. Time was running out. She held up her hands to silence everyone.

"Thank you for the confidence everyone, but time is running short. Is there anyone else that would like to run for mayor?" she asked.

Everyone scanned the room. When no one else raised their hand, Belle continued, "Okay, now that we have candidates for mayor, is there anyone that would like to run for sheriff until Emma returns?"

Immediately, Doc raised his hand. "I would like to nominate Leroy as the substitute for sheriff until Emma gets back."

As quick as Doc's hand went up, it was forced down just as quick.

"What are you doing? I can't be sheriff." said Leroy.

"Oh c'mon, Leroy. You'd be great!" exclaimed Happy.

"Yeah, Leroy. You'd do as good a job as Emma does," said Sneezy, standing next to Leroy and placing his hand upon his shoulder, then, "A—A-choo!"

"Bless you." replied everyone in the diner.

Leroy looked around at everyone in the diner. Seeing everyone's imploring looks, he thought about how this could be his chance to show everyone that he was better than the town drunk. That he could rise to the occasion and do as good a job as Emma would as sheriff. After a few more seconds of thinking, Leroy looked up to Belle, who like everyone else had the imploring look on her face, and said, "I accept the nomination."

Cheers erupted from all around. With pats on the back from the rest of the dwarves, Leroy smiled. He looked up to Belle, smiling, and watched as she gave him a nod of encouragement. Raising her hands again, Belle silenced the crowd.

"Would anyone else like to nominate someone to the position of sheriff?" she asked.

When no one else raised their hand, she put down her arms and said, "Okay. Well, we'll open nominations again at Town Hall in an hour before we move on with the election. In the meantime, go and spread the word that we are meeting at Town Hall while Ruby and I go find Mother Superior."

As one of the dwarfs helped Belle down from the counter, cheers and applause erupted from everyone. Belle blushed at the attention. In searching for Ruby, everyone patted Belle on the back as they left, saying either "Good luck" or "You've got my vote". Once the crowd cleared, she saw Ruby by the kitchen window and walked over.

When Ruby saw her coming, she said, "You were great up there!

"Thank you," Belle replied, giving Ruby a hug, "I was nervous though. I didn't know what to say. I just..."

"Hey, everyone liked you. That's all that matters. And at least you're much better than King George."

Both laughed at this. Belle looked up at the clock once more and saw that they needed to find Mother Superior. Holding up the paper with the spell on it, Belle said, "Let's go find Mother Superior."

As soon as they walked out the front door of Granny's, it was not long before they found her. When they reached the intersection where the clock tower stood, Belle and Ruby ran into Mother Superior.

"Mother Superior! How did you-?" asked Ruby.

"I sensed that you needed me so I got over here as quickly as possible. You have the spell?" replied Mother Superior.

Belle laid the scroll in her hand. Taking it with both hands, Mother Superior unrolled the parchment and began reading the contents of the page. Every now and then, there would be nod, a "hmmm", and a yes. When she was finished, she rolled the parchment back up and looked up at Ruby and Belle.

"The spell is not complicated. I just have to cast it at the town line." said Mother Superior.

"We can take my car." said Ruby.

Belle and Mother Superior followed Ruby to where her car idly sat. Ruby walked around to the driver's side; Belle climbed into the front seat; and Mother Superior climbed into the back. Ruby turned the key, revving the engine up. Putting the car into drive, all three women headed to the town line.

* * *

"Stand back. I need all the room I can get." said Mother Superior.

She, Ruby, and Belle were standing on the edge of the town line. With her wand out, Mother Superior looked at the parchment once more and then handed it back to Belle. With Belle and Ruby now feet back from her, Mother Superior raised her arms and began to work. She waved her wand and mumbled the words to the spell. A second later, an invisible wall began to spring up from the town line. Reaching high above the trees, it arched into the sky until all four corners of the wall surrounding Storybrooke closed at the pinnacle. Once the dome was complete, a surge of light ran from the top of the dome back down to the town line. Mother Superior lowered her wand and placed it back inside her coat.

She turned around, facing Ruby and Belle once again, and said, "The spell is activated."

Both gave a sigh of relief. They now did not have to worry about any other outsiders coming into Storybrooke.

All three women smiled at each other, and Mother Superior made her way back to Ruby and Belle. Standing in a circle, Belle checked her watch and noticed that the hour was almost gone. They needed to get back to Town Hall for the election.

She looked up at the other two and said, "Now, it is time to head back and decide on a mayor and sheriff for the time being."

* * *

"Okay everyone! Let's get started! Before we start with the speeches, nominations have been reopened. Is there anyone who would like to nominate someone for the office of mayor or sheriff?"

Ruby stood in front of the podium on the stage of the Town Hall. Belle, King George, and Leroy all sat in a row behind her facing the audience. As Ruby finished, the crowd began looking around, seeing if there was anyone who opposed the candidates already on stage. Some muttered and some huddled into groups, discussing who would win. Back at the podium, Ruby scanned the room once more, making sure that she did not miss a hand going up.

After being silent for a few minutes, Ruby continued, "Since no one has a nomination, I will take it that everyone is satisfied with the current candidates for mayor and sheriff. Therefore, the nominations are officially closed. Here are the candidates once more!"

Ruby held out her hand and moved to the far left, away from the podium. As she did so, Belle, George, and Leroy all stood up from their stairs.

"Our first candidate for mayor is: Belle!" exclaimed Ruby, pointing her outstretched arm to Belle. She stepped forward, the crowd cheered and applauded, and then Belle stepped back.

"Our second, and last, candidate for mayor is: King George!" exclaimed Ruby once more. When George stepped forward toward the podium, jeers and boos filled the audience. All George did when he heard this was smile. He stepped in line with the other two, and Ruby continued to the last candidate.

"Our third and last candidate, for the office of sheriff while Emma is away, is Leroy!" Ruby exclaimed one last time. Leroy stepped forward, the crowd applauded, and he stepped back.

Ruby walked back to the podium with the three candidates sitting down in the process. Out in the audience, people discussed in whispers and huddles. Ruby raised her arms and brought silence back to the room.

"Here is how we will do this: both candidates for mayor will come up to the podium, give their speech, and then we will vote. Since Leroy is the only candidate running for sheriff, he will not have to make a speech. Let's begin."

Belle stood up from her chair and walked towards the podium. With the note cards that she made quickly in her hands, she stared out into the audience. She took a deep breath and began her speech.

"We, the people of Storybrooke, have depended upon others to lead us in good times and in bad times. Now that our leaders are gone for the time being, we must step up and be leaders ourselves. As your mayor, I would not make decisions unilaterally. I would consult you, the people, has a whole. I may not have that much experience, but I do know that being a good leader means listening to the people and showing compassion and kindness. I have faced darkness and evil. I have seen a man who by all accounts is the most powerful man in Storybrooke. But, I have also seen that man be kind and love because I have showed him how. Don't elect me because of my connections with Rumplestilkskin. Elect me because I know that a leader is compassionate, humble, and merciful. Thank you."

Belle nodded her head and left the podium. The crowd cheered and applauded for Belle. Some even whooped and hollered for her. As she made her back to her seat, Ruby gave her smile and thumbs up. Then, she sat in George's chair as he already made his way up to the podium. The cheers and applause that the crowd gave Belle soon turned to jeers and boos once again at George. Once they finished, George began.

"I know you all see me as an enemy because of David and what I did to him. But, let me tell you a little bit about your precious leader. He, as I said, has once again like he always does put personal matters above of his people. He left Storybrooke in search of his grandson, while leaving you to fend for yourselves. Is that a leader, or a type of leader, that you want? Do you want a leader who, for quite some time, has spent her days being with a man who is known as the Dark One? As mayor, I would not associate with anyone belonging to Dark magic, nor will I put personal matters in front of you. I will be dedicated to you, the people of Storybrooke."

George turned away from the podium. No sound erupted from the audience. Ruby returned to the podium, gathered herself, and said, "Thank you for those words, Belle, George. Now, the time has come, Storybrooke! Which one deserves the position of mayor until David and Mary Margaret return? As to how we will do this, I will ask each candidate to stand up again and then ask for a raise of hands if that person should be mayor. Whichever gets the majority, they win the position."

Staring at Ruby, the crowd nodded their understanding. Ruby turned halfway from the podium to look back at Belle.

"Belle, will you please stand back up?"

Belle complied and walked forward to where Ruby was standing. Before Ruby had the chance to ask the question, a slew of hands went up in the audience. From what Ruby and a few others could see, a majority had been reached. Ruby motioned for Belle to sit back down and George to come up to the stand.

"Would anyone like George to be the mayor?" asked Ruby.

Except for a few hands in the back, no one else raised theirs. Ruby asked George to return to his seat. A decision had been reached. Standing behind the podium once more, Ruby glanced out into the audience and said, "By an overwhelming show of hands, our new mayor is Belle!"

Everyone at that point stood up and cheered. Looking out into the crowd, Belle smiled at the excitement. She couldn't believe that she had won. She was now the mayor of Storybrooke. At least until David, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Regina returned. Belle walked to the podium and hugged Ruby. After the embrace, Ruby stepped away and Belle stepped forward to the podium.

"Thank you! I really appreciate it. But, right now, we have some more business to attend to. So, please take your seats for a few more minutes."

The crowd calmed down and sat back in their seats. Looking over at Leroy, Belle smiled at him. She then turned back and took a deep breath.

"Since no one is running against Leroy for interim sheriff, the only thing we need to do is appoint him. So, I make a motion to appoint Leroy as the interim sheriff of Storybrooke. Does anyone second my motion?"

"I second the motion!" exclaimed Granny in the front row.

"All those in favor, say "aye"!" said Belle.

The whole room resounded with "Aye!" Belle was taken aback a little by the sound but recovered quickly. She motioned for Leroy to come over to the podium. He stood up from his seat and walked over to her, standing next to her.

"Congratulations, Leroy! You are now the interim sheriff!" exclaimed Belle, extending her hand and shaking Leroy's hand.

* * *

An hour later, Dylan passed the clock tower. The sun was now setting, and the streetlights were now coming on in Storybrooke. As Dylan drove slowly, he continued to look at his map of Maine. He just couldn't figure out how a town could exist and not be on a map. He drove down Main Street, passed Granny's, and suddenly, his stomach began to growl. He put the map aside, found an empty parking spot between two cars, and decided to stop and have something to eat.

He parked his car and turned off the engine. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned around into the backseat and picked up his phone. By the time he reached the Storybrooke sign, Lori had stopped calling him all together. However, he didn't really notice considering the fact that a town existed in Maine without being on a map occupied much of his mind at that point. He got out of the car and made his way over to Granny's.

Upon reaching the front door, Dylan could hear shouting and cheering from within. Confused as ever, he opened the door and went in to the diner. The booth that was closest to the door was available. The young man sat down and waited to order. All around him, people were celebrating what happened at Town Hall. The dwarves were in the middle of the diner, yelling and whooping. Ruby and Belle were in the booth on the other end, talking. Granny was behind the counter, giving refills to everyone. Seeing the menus at the end of the table, Dylan grabbed one and opened it, perusing the many dishes that he could choose from.

A few minutes later, Ruby left the table she and Belle were sitting at and went to get to order pad. Once she had, she walked over to Dylan's table.

"Hi. I'm Ruby. What would you like tonight?" she asked, examining Dylan and trying to think if she knew him.

Looking at his menu, Dylan made his final answer. He turned his head up to Ruby and said, "I'll just have a burger and fries, thanks."

"Ok," said Ruby, smiling at Dylan and writing down his order. She turned around and was about to walk away from the table. However, she turned back and asked, "Do I know you from somewhere? I feel like I've seen you in Storybrooke before."

Chuckling a little, Dylan smiled at Ruby and said, "Oh, no. This is my first time in Storybrooke. Actually, I didn't even know it was here."

"Oh, okay," replied Ruby, trying to keep the smile on her face, "I'll put this in for you. Bye. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." said Dylan.

Ruby turned around and walked away from the table, over to the kitchen window. Now that she was not in front of Dylan, her smile faded and was replaced with a concerned look. How could an outsider be here, she thought. Didn't the spell work?

As Dylan checked his messages, Sneezy and Happy sat in the next booth talking. With a couple of beers in front of them, both were a little bit buzzed.

"So, when do you think Emma and the rest of them will be back?" asked Happy, taking another swig of beer.

Dylan's head jerked up from his phone. Emma? He hadn't heard that name in a long while. Curious as to who they were talking about, he got out of his booth and walked over to Leroy and Happy.

"Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Who is the Emma you were referring to?"

"Oh, Emma Swan. She's our sheriff here in Storybrooke. She's not here at the moment; she's in Neverland saving her son." replied Happy.

Sneezy immediately stepped on Happy's foot. But it was too late. As soon as Happy said Swan, Dylan's eyes bulged out. He couldn't believe it. As Dylan walked back to his table, Leroy, who was sitting at a nearby table, asked, "How do you know Emma?"

Dylan turned around and looked at Leroy. "I'm her foster brother."

**So what did you think? A new outsider who is Emma's foster brother? I will be developing this storyline, but there are more that need to be told right now, so bear with me :) In the meantime, REVIEW... and be sure to watch Sunday's episode. I for one can't wait! :)**


	7. Faith, Trust

**A/N: Hello my dear readers! Another chapter is ready! This one and the chapter are in two parts. Can you guess what the title for chapter 8 will be? :) Anyways, I hope that you guys like this next installment. It took me awhile to write it (12 pages worth), but it's done. Enjoy!**

Ch. 7

"Faith, Trust…"

Henry stared at the small, rectangular window that was in front of him. Just a few seconds ago, he felt a wave of warmth pass through him. He knew, without a doubt, that that was Emma. He knew that that wave of warmth was his family coming to rescue him. Despite the fact that he was just blasted back by an invisible magical force and too weak to stand, he knew that help was coming. That someone would save him from this wretched place. In the meantime, though, the fatigue and the weakness began to overpower Henry. His arms, which were behind him supporting his sitting position, gave way, and Henry fell back to the floor. Laying there gazing up at the dark ceiling, the pain from the magical force overtook Henry. All he wanted to do was just lay there. If his family came and rescued him, that would be great. If they didn't, that was okay too.

"_No."_ thought Henry. With all his might, Henry used his arms to push himself back up into a sitting position. _"I can't let this place get to me. I can't let Pan get to me. Emma is coming. My mom is coming to get me. They'll be here." _he thought.

"Why resist, Henry? Why not just let the darkness and isolation overtake you?" asked a voice from a nearby dark corner.

With his footsteps resounding, Peter Pan walked into the light, closer to Henry. His face had on that sly, mischievous smile that always that he was getting his way. Henry turned to look at Pan, seeing the light from the window hit half of his face and creating a shadow on the other side.

"Because…" Henry began.

He lifted his arms from behind him and brought them forward. Placing both palms on the floor, he began to lift himself up. Ever so slowly, with the frequent grunt, Henry managed to push himself off the floor. His feet on the ground, Henry straightened his torso and looked Pan straight in the eye.

"Because I know that my mom is coming to rescue me. In my family, we always find each other." said Henry proudly.

Pan chuckled, gazing down to the floor, shaking his head. He lifted it back up to face Henry and finally replied, "That may be true Henry, but I am much more powerful than your entire family. They may find my hideout, but if they want you, theywill have to go through me. And to be honest, Henry," leaning in and whispering, as though somebody might hear, "they won't survive, especially not with what I plan to have."

Henry stared at Pan confused. What was he talking about? What was it that he was going to get? Seeing the look on Henry's face, Pan smiled widely and chuckled. "I thought you would've worked that out by now, Henry."

When Henry didn't say anything and continued to look confused, Pan went on, "You see, Henry, it's not just your mother I want, or rather her heart that is. Your mother, yes, is the product of true love and indeed is quite powerful. With her magic, there isn't anything that I can't do. But," he began walking slowly towards Henry, "when I met you, Henry, I realized something else. I realized that I can not only have the heart of the Savior and possess the most powerful magic of all, but I can also have the heart of the product of the Savior."

As Pan continued to advance on Henry, Henry went over his mind what Pan was wanting. Who was he talking about? When he looked into Pan's eyes, realization suddenly dawned on him. _"Me." _he thought.

"Me? You want my heart? Why?" asked Henry.

"Think about it, Henry. If I have your heart, I have the heart of the truest believer. You see, like love, faith is also very powerful. Especially faith even when everything says otherwise. Henry that is the kind of faith you have, and it is the most powerful kind."

Pan stopped right in front of Henry. The boys stared each other down, not wanting to be the one who blinked. Then, all of a sudden, Pan plunged his hand into Henry's chest. Grabbing a hold on his heart, Pan ripped Henry's heart out of his chest.

* * *

Emma stared out to sea, looking ahead to the island that was Neverland. Her hands on the edge of the ship, she leaned in and allowed the breeze that was passing to hit her. She closed her eyes, and immediately, an image of Henry popped up in her mind. She opened her eyes. A tear was falling on her cheek and landed on her red jacket. Oh how she missed Henry! She kept going over in her mind what happened. If only she had watched him more closely or had him stay by her side while she helped Regina save the town. Either way, all she could think of was how it was her fault that Henry was gone.

"Pan may be powerful and knows every inch of the island, but that does not mean that he is without weakness."

Startled, Emma turned around to see whose voice was behind her. It was Rumple. He stood just a few feet from Emma, one hand on his cane, the other in his pocket. He walked over to the edge where Emma was standing, looking out to the island in the distance. Emma did the same, and both stood there until Rumple said, "Everyone has a weakness. We just have to find Pan's."

"But if he is too powerful, how can we even go about forming an attack on him to rescue Henry?" asked Emma, turning away from the island and looking Rumple into his face, into his eyes.

Rumple chuckled and smiled at her. For awhile now, he has known Emma, maybe quite all too well. Indeed, he knew from the moment that he said what he said that Emma would reply with that. He knew that Emma was a person who did not harbor much faith in really anything.

"What?" she asked.

Turning his head toward hers, he replied, "With that kind of faith, Ms. Swan, you will never survive Neverland, least of all to save your son."

In the time that Emma's known Rumple, she has put up with a lot. But now, after hearing that, Emma didn't think she could take anymore. She turned her entire body to face Rumple, her hand squeezing the edge of the ship to keep her resolve. With a defiant look etched across her face, Emma replied, "I do have faith."

Rumple, in reciprocity, turned away from the edge to face Emma, placing both hands upon the top of his cane with both feet spread apart. They looked at each other a few seconds before Rumple continued, "Your kind of faith, Ms. Swan, only allows you to believe what has been shown to you. When have you ever believed in something where there was absolutely no evidence or that evidence led to a different, more gruesome conclusion?"

With her left hand still on the rail, Emma moved her gaze from Rumple down to the floor. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. When had she ever believed in something without being shown something else? When had she ever actually taken a leap of faith?

"Neverland is built upon belief, Emma. Everything in it depends upon the many children that lie in their beds at night, dreaming of this place. It is a place where imagination thrives and practicality dies. It is not a place where shallow faith is accepted." explained Rumple.

Emma turned her body back to the edge again, both her arms spread out across the edge, her head down. She knew that everything Rumple said was true. All her life, she never really believed in anything. From foster home to foster home, no one ever helped her believe in things such as love, family, and friends. All she had was dark nights filled with crying and loneliness.

She wiped the tears that had fallen onto her cheek and turned back to Rumple. With her eyes mainly still on the floor, out of the corner she looked at Rumple.

"So, how do I get this faith?" she asked him.

Rumple tilted his head down, shaking it from side to side, sighing. She still didn't understand. He looked back up at her and said, "It isn't something that you "get", Ms. Swan. This kind of faith must come naturally. It must come from within you."

Emma simply stared at Rumple. What did he mean by faith coming from "within"? She watched as Rumple stared back at her, hoping that she would come to the answer herself. When Emma shrugged her shoulders, Rumple tilted his head to the sky, shaking it. He brought it back down to eye level with Emma and explained, "People who believe that everything works out for the best, that good always triumphs, are people who are extraordinary, Emma. They are people who, in the face of life and difficult circumstances, still believe that things will work out for the better. Look at Henry, for example."

She did as Rumple told her. When she first met Henry, she thought he was just a kid who took the fairy tales way too seriously. When anything unusual happened, Henry always reasoned that it was the curse. He constantly said that she was the Savior, and that everyone needed her help. Despite what Regina and herself said to the contrary, Henry stuck to what he knew was true.

Emma widened her eyes, and her jaw dropped to the floor. That was what Rumple was talking about. Henry had the kind of faith that he was describing. That good, no matter what may happen and no matter what evil comes along, will always win in the end.

Seeing the light finally hit Emma, Rumple tilted his head slightly, with his eyes still fixed on Emma's face, and said, "You are an extraordinary person, Emma. You can have the faith that Henry has. All you have to do is believe in your cause and yourself."

"Emma?" called a voice from nearby.

Looking past Rumple, she discovered that it was Hook who yelled her name. Emma gave Rumple a nod and a "Thanks" and walked over to where Hook was standing.

"What is it?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders in the process.

In response, Hook pointed down below at the center of the ship. Emma followed his finger and soon came upon Regina, Mary Margaret, and David having what appeared a very heated argument. She rushed down the stairs and as close to the three as she could get.

"What do you propose that we do Regina?!" yelled Mary Margaret.

"I've already told you what I think we should do. We should use magic to get us into Pan's camp and then from there, use magic to fight Pan." explained Regina, becoming exasperated that she has to continually repeat herself.

Putting her hands up, Mary Margaret replied, "You know, it is just like you to suggest that we use magic. Did it ever occur to you that maybe magic won't work this time?"

Before Regina had a chance to rebut however, Mary Margaret then said, "Oh wait, it didn't because you always think that magic is the solution to everything!"

"Well, at least I'm not naïve enough to think that we can go in, reason with Pan and offer him redemption, thinking that that will be what gets Henry back!" screamed Regina.

David stepped up to Regina with a menacing look on his face. "Don't you dare call my wife naïve again," said David, his hands clinching into fists and his nostrils flaring.

Regina, in equal menace, stepped up to David and replied, "Get away from me, Charming. Or should I say… shepherd."

At that point, civility was gone, and chaos reigned. Regina, Mary Margaret, and David were now at each other's throats, screaming at each other and trying to get their idea across. At the helm, Rumple looked down at the three and simply chuckled. Hook, steering the ship, shook his head and continued to steer. Ever so slowly, Emma inched herself closer to the howling hyenas. Once she was within earshot, she attempted to grab their attention.

"You guys, we need- Hey, stop. -You guys are acting like idiots." said Emma, trying and failing as the three continued to scream at each other.

She turned around and looked up at Hook. Giving him a desperate, "What else do I do" look, all Hook did was shrug his shoulders and go back to steering. Emma then turned to Rumple. All he did was stare at her. She turned back around to the screaming group and closed her eyes. Trying to block out all the screaming, Emma searched for an answer. She began to think of Henry again and how alone and scared he must be right now. A wild image of Pan ripping out Henry's heart invaded Emma's mind, and suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

Emma opened her eyes, stared at the three a second longer, and screamed, at the top of her lungs, "SHUT… UP!"

Thunder roared, and lightening lit up the sky. Regina, Mary Margaret, and David stopped arguing and looked up to the heavens to see what had just happened. They then turned their head to Emma, with jaws having dropped to the floor. Emma herself could not believe that had happened. Panting wildly, she looked at the other three, caught her breath, and then said, "If we're going to save Henry, this," she pointed her hand at the three of them, "needs to stop. I know you guys can't stand each other and have done horrible crap to each other in the past, but this is about Henry. We cannot be at each other's throats and expect to save him. As hard as it might be for all of you," she then turned to look at not only Regina, Mary Margaret, and David but also at Hook and Rumple, "we have to trust each other. We have to trust that with all of us, we can fight Pan and save Henry from whatever it is Pan wants him for."

When Emma finished, no one spoke a word. All anyone did was stare at Emma. With her chest rising and falling rapidly, Emma adjusted her feet, looking down at the floor in the process. She could not believe that she had caused thunder and lightning. She heard footsteps grow closer to her and lifted her head to see who it was. Mary Margaret was walking towards her with a grin a mile wide plastered to her face. Reaching her daughter, she put her hands on the sides of Emma's head and kissed her forehead.

"We're sorry, Emma. Thank you for reminding us of why we are here." said Mary Margaret, still with the smile on her face.

Regina rolled her eyes at the situation and placed her hand on her hip. She stepped away from David and proceeded to ask, at Emma, "So, what is it that you suggest we do then?"

Mary Margaret stepped away from Emma and stood at her side. Emma thought for a moment on a plan once they reach the shore. A few seconds passed, and Emma looked back up to everyone.

"First of all, we can't use magic. Pan, according to Rumple, is far more powerful than any of us. He would be expecting magic as our first defense. And Pan already knows that we're here. So, once we reach the shore, let's just start heading towards Pan's hideout and attack."

For the spur of the moment, it wasn't a bad plan, Emma thought. Given everything and everyone that they're dealing with, it really is the only option. When she finished, Emma looked around to see what everyone else thought. To her surprise, everyone, except for Regina, nodded their head in agreement. A plan had been made.

"So, Hook," said David, walking to underneath the helm, "how long will it be till we reach shore?"

"We'll be there by morning, mate." replied Hook, who kept his eyes on the island that they were headed to.

* * *

Night had fallen. The moon glistened off the waters, casting a pool of light that floated along with the current. In the distance, the island of Neverland looked much different than in the day. It appeared more menacing and intimidating as the moon's light cast a shadow upon the mountain that stood in the center. One had to wonder what made this island so mysterious and enchanting, yet so full of innocence and wonder. As she stood at the edge, these thoughts pierced Emma Swan's mind. Looking at the island, she wondered how a story that was told so long ago could be so wrong, so mistaken. She wondered how one boy, who was so benevolent and fun in the story, could be so evil and dark. Her mind lingered on the thought of Pan and the island for a few more minutes until another boy made his way into her thoughts: Henry. She could not even imagine what he must be feeling right now. If only she could know that he was all right. Her mind then lingered to what would happen if they weren't successful in rescuing Henry. What would she do then? Stay in Storybrooke, or go back to Boston? Be with her parents, or give up being sheriff?

As these thoughts swam in her mind, tears began to fall down her face. She remembered that night on her birthday the wish she made before she blew out the candle. She had wished that she wouldn't have to be alone. Then Henry showed up, and everything changed. She wasn't alone anymore.

Everyone had turned in for the night; so naturally, when Emma heard footsteps walking up the stairs, she jumped a little and turned around to see who it was. She wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes and sniffed. When she had turned, she found Hook standing by the stairs, smiling at her. She grinned a little at him and then turned back to stare at the moon.

Hook walked to the edge where Emma was standing and began looking out at the water himself. "Beautiful night, eh?" he uttered.

"Yeah", whispered Emma.

Without turning his head, Hook moved his eyes sideways to look at Emma. Her face had on the look that he himself wore many times a day: a look of sadness. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, to let her know that she can cry into his shoulders. But he knew that that would scare Emma. He knew that the woman standing next to him didn't trust all that well.

Turning to face her now, Hook then replied, "So, are we going to talk about that kiss, or are we just going to ignore that?"

He knew that at some point they would have to talk about it. Within that kiss, there were feelings shared, and Hook knew that those feelings could not be ignored. He stared at Emma while she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that he would ask that question. She knew that that would come up.

Emma turned away from the water, staring Hook straight in the face. She saw the subtle smile upon his lips and couldn't help but smile herself. She opened her mouth to speak and when nothing came out, she closed it and looked down. Hook's smile left him. He took a couple of steps towards her and with his good hand, he lifted her face by her chin and uttered, "I love you, Emma."

Emma's eyes widened. Her breathing became a little deeper. She was at a loss for words. How could he say that? How could he even get that from one, little kiss? Emma knocked Hook's hand away from her chin and turned away. She walked a few feet from Hook, thinking of what to say. She thought about Henry and what lie ahead on the island. She thought about Neal and what happened with Tamara. She knew that she didn't want to be alone anymore, but she knew that she couldn't handle it if she lost someone again. She knew that Neal was never coming back but in the back of her mind, she had this thought of the both of them together. He was the love of her life. The one that she had said "I love you" to for the first time. Her mind then went to the fact that while she knew Hook, he was also a pirate, someone who innately cannot be trusted. But, then again, Neal wasn't exactly someone who could be trusted either. But, Emma realized then that in order to trust, you have to give in and let go. That one has to let go of what was and what could have been and find happiness.

She turned back around to face Hook, who was still standing right where he had been, looking at her with a sympathetic face. Emma looked into his eyes and saw that same sadness that was in hers. With her eyes still on his, she began to move her feet, slowly, towards Hook. As she grew closer, her pace picked up until she found herself right up against him, arms hooked behind his head, her lips locked with his, his arms around her waist.

They kissed for what seemed like forever until Hook pushed Emma away from him slightly. His hand and hook on her elbows, both of them looked at each other. "So, what does this mean?" he asked.

She stared at him. Hook was right; there were feelings deep within that kiss. Feelings Emma knew were not going to go away. Neal was gone. It was time to move on.

"It means I love you and that I am willing to trust you." replied Emma.

Hook smiled at her. Then, he pulled her back in, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. For a few minutes, they stood there, lips locked, until both moved down to the floor.

* * *

The sun was rising over the horizon. The sky lit up with pink, blue, and yellow spreading across the expanse. The birds sang their morning song, and the water splashed against the ship. As the sun lit up the deck, it soon illuminated a sleeping Emma and Hook upon the deck. Hook's good arm was under Emma, and Emma's right hand was lying upon his chest. Both slept soundly with each other's heads against the other.

Footsteps were heard from down below. Emma startled awake, wondering what it was that woke her. When she heard the footsteps again, she panicked, shaking Hook violently to wake up.

With his eyes open, Hook looked at Emma, smiled, and said, "Morning, luv."

He reached up to try and kiss her, but at that moment, Emma stood up, looking around to see if anyone had come up the stairs yet. The rest of the deck was clear, but more footsteps sounded from below. Hook stretched out his hand, and Emma helped pull him up to his feet. They stood in silence, listening for more footsteps. When they didn't hear any, Emma turned to him and said, "This stays a secret for now."

Hook reached up to her face to push back a strand of hair. He smiled at her, thinking about last night, and said, "Whatever you want, Emma."

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Emma quickly gave Hook a smile and turned away from him. She walked down the steps and waited for whoever was coming up. Hook went to the helm and began surveying where they were. The hatch leading down to the cabins opened and up came Mary Margaret, David, and Regina. Regina walked over to the edge and stared out to the beyond.

"We're almost to shore." she said.

Mary Margaret and David joined her at the edge of the ship. The waves were growing and more rocks began to jut out from the water. While they couldn't tell, the ship itself was slowing down due to the water itself growing shallower. The white, sandy beach of Neverland came into view. As the waves crashed upon the surface, they could see where shells and other items from the bottom of the ocean had made their way onto shore. Seeing no immediate danger on the beach, Emma turned away from the view, only to catch Hook staring at her. He had his smirk plastered on his face, but this time Emma knew that it wasn't anything filled with harassment. On the contrary, it wasn't really a smirk at all but a smile. It was one that he had had on last night, one that told Emma that he wasn't playing with her. That he was serious about everything.

Emma returned his smile with her own. For the next few seconds, Emma and Hook stared at each other, hoping that an opportunity for them to be alone would come up again. The moment of meaningful gazes, however, was short-lived, for Mary Margaret at that moment turned away as well from the beach and saw the whole ordeal. Before shock could register upon her face, Hook tore his gaze away from Emma, making Emma realize that her mother was right behind her. She turned to face her, her eyes wide, her heart beating rapidly. She didn't know what to say to her. Luckily, she never got to at that moment.

The ship was now nearing land, and the ride was becoming a little bumpy. As the water became shallower and Hook directed the ship to avoid the rocks, everyone ran to grab onto something. Emma and Mary Margaret grabbed on to a piece of rope that was somehow connected to the mast. Not wanting to look at Mary Margaret's face, Emma in turn gazed upon the island they were about to land on. Avoiding some more rocks, the ship then made its way onto the beach.

"Cast the anchor!" yelled Hook.

David and Regina ran to the other side to where the anchor was. Lifting it together, they threw it into the water and then made sure that everything was secure. With the ship in place, Hook stepped away from the helm and yelled, "All ashore!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They could not have been happier to hear those three words. They had finally made it to Neverland. They could now go and rescue Henry. As Emma jumped down from the edge of the ship onto the sand, a wave radiated from her out into the island of Neverland. She stumbled back from the impact, with Hook catching her under the arms. He put her back on her feet, and she moved a few feet towards the tree line, looking to see if anyone was waiting to attack them.

When nothing made itself known to Emma, she turned back to find that everyone was now off the boat and looking at her for the next part of the plan. She stared around at everyone, peering into their faces, trying to see what they were thinking. Laying eyes on Mary Margaret, Emma saw that she had her arms crossed at her chest, with a look on her face that told her that they were not finished talking. She passed Regina's face who, more or less, looked frustrated that they were just standing around doing nothing. She had her hand on her hip and her right foot pointing sideways. Moving onwards, her eyes passed David and Rumple, one of which was giving her a look of encouragement and the other simply giving her a look. Finally, her eyes landed on the last person in the semicircle: Hook. The look that was on his face was one similar to her father's but also one of knowing.

She stood there in the sand thinking of how they should proceed. She thought of the many ways in which they could rescue Henry, but as each one surfaced in her mind, they were immediately pushed out. Emma knew, from what Rumple had told her, that none of her plans would work against Pan. So, she stood there for a few more seconds thinking of what to say. Finally, words came to Emma.

"There is no easy way to fight Pan. Every plan I have would fail. So, what we're going to do is just go in to Pan's camp, put up a fight, and get Henry. After that, we find a way off the island." explained Emma.

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Emma." said a voice from behind.

Looking at everyone's faces, she saw that everyone had tensed up and were going for their weapons. Emma turned around and took a couple of steps back. In front of her were a group of teenagers, dressed in rags, carrying weapons: the Lost Boys. They began to encircle the group, making sure that there was no way out. The boy who appeared to be in charge, the one who had spoken up, took a couple of steps forward to Emma.

"You see, Emma, Pan wants Henry. And when Pan wants something, he always gets what he wants. So, this "rescue mission" that you all have come to complete is futile. Pan is not giving up the boy. And besides, no one leaves Neverland." said the lost boy.

Pissed off more than ever, Emma stepped closer to the lost boy. Her nostrils flaring, she leaned in, getting up in the boy's face, and said, "I am not leaving without my son."

The lost boy chuckled and smiled. He then leaned in, just as Emma had, until he was right up in her face. He then said, "Then this should be fun."

Out of nowhere, a club came swinging and hit Emma in the face. She flew backwards and hit the ground hard. Immediately, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Rumple, and Hook were all engaged in a battle with the lost boys. David swung his sword at the lost boy he was dueling with. Regina, who didn't have a weapon, used magic to ward off lost boys coming her way. Mary Margaret, who had run to Emma's side the moment she was knocked out, was now shooting arrows at those who got close to her daughter. Like David, Hook drew his sword and began to fight every lost boy who came near him. Wanting to get to Emma and protect her, he put everything he had into it and one by one defeated anyone who wanted a fight.

The battle raged for quite some time. In the center of it all lay Emma with her legs brought up to her chest and her head to her side. Quickly as she could, Mary Margaret shot arrow after arrow at any Lost Boy coming close to Emma. But there were too many boys and only one of her.

"Charming! A little help please!" yelled Mary Margaret.

"Coming Snow!" replied David. With one last swipe of his sword, the lost boy that David was fighting lost balance. Once he did, David kicked him square in the chest, knocking him down to the ground unconscious. He then turned around to see where his wife and daughter were. His eyes grew wide and his heart began to race. David ran to the center, stopping on the other side of Emma, across from his wife.

Mary Margaret shot an arrow at a lost boy and then turned to face her husband. "Glad you could join me!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry! I had a whole circle of them back there." yelled David.

"It's okay!" yelled Mary Margaret, taking another shot at a lost boy who was about to grab Emma. Once she was done, she lowered her bow and shouted, "Why do they want Emma?! They've been trying to grab her this whole time!"

His back to his wife, David knocked another boy down to the ground. He turned to face Mary Margaret and caught her eyes. "I don't know!"

They stared at each other. It had been awhile seen they had done that. As she gazed into her husband's eyes, Mary Margaret began to calm down. There was something about the way that Charming looked at her that always made her think that things would be all right. That no matter what happened to them, they would still have each other. While they stared, a lost boy moved in and picked Emma up off the ground. Everyone else was busy with a lost boy to notice that Emma was gone.

Before the boy carrying Emma could get away into the trees, he suddenly froze up. Emma dropped back to the ground, and everyone had stopped fighting. They looked around to the edge of the trees and saw a green mist float past the frozen Lost Boy. Immediately, the Lost Boys retreated into the forest, ending the battle right then and there.

Staring at the frozen boy, David uttered, "What the…"

Mary Margaret ran over to Emma and turned her on her back. She placed her ear to her chest to find that she was still breathing. Mary Margaret pushed back the hair that was in Emma's face and bent down to kiss on her daughter on the forehead. She then looked up to the still frozen boy that was standing right beside them. All of a sudden, another burst of green mist appeared and the boy unfroze, with a look of a panic, and then disappeared into the forest. Now wholly confused, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, and Hook began to look around for the source of the green mist until David finally shouted, "Come out and show yourself, whoever who are!"

A rustle of leaves sounded, and a woman emerged from the forest. She was dressed in green, blonde hair dangling in the back, a cloak over her shoulders. She came into the light so that everyone could get a good look at her. Confused more than ever, the gang simply stared at the woman before them. David then uttered, "Who are you?"

"I am Tinkerbell." said the woman in green.

**Hope you enjoyed! BTW, my endgame for this story is Emma and Neal together. But, I figured why not have a little fun first. So, trust me... Emma and Neal are coming :) Thank you for reading!**


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